Posts Tagged ‘Judaizer’

‘Is not my word like fire,” declares the LORD, ‘and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?’

– Jeremiah 23:29

For almost 2,000 years, the consensus of Christianity has been that male circumcision is not required for the faith. Nonetheless, there are numerous and fairly valid reasons to finally reintroduce this practice among Christians throughout the world. There are also some specific passages that seem to suggest that the religion of Judaism should also promote and perhaps even require circumcision among the Gentiles as a part of their own faith.

This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.

– Genesis 17:10

The covenant of male circumcision started with Abraham, the founding father of the three major faiths of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. For Christianity to truly be a part of the House of Abraham, they should circumcise their male children. After all, Christians have fulfilled the prophecy that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sands upon the seashore. There are some who would claim that Christianity obeys the Seven laws of Noah and that only Jews are actually required to practice circumcision. That is the wrong assumption as the following passages from the Jewish Talmud clearly show:

The Master said: Every precept which was given to the sons of Noah and repeated at Sinai was meant for both [Noachides and Israelites]

– Sanhedrin 59a

But circumcision, which was given to the Sons of Noah, for it is written, ‘Thou shalt keep my covenant, and repeated at Sinai, And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised,’

– Sandhedrin 59b

This law was not learned from the teaching of Moses our teacher, until Ezekiel came and taught, ‘No alien, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh shall enter into my Sanctuary to serve me’

– Sanhedrin 22b

One should remember that the compromise concerning uncircumcised Christian Gentiles found in the Book of Acts was not a unanimous decision and was probably not meant to be an eternal dictate that Christians didn’t need to circumcise their male children. What follows are ten excellent reasons why Christianity should practice circumcision as a standard aspect of their faith:

Ten Reasons Why Christianity should Practice Circumcision

I. The Covenant of Abraham

BIBLE: This is my covenant, which you shall keep…Every man child among you shall be circumcised. (Genesis 17:10)

CONCLUSION: Though many Christians are not blood-related to Abraham, they are a part of his House and subject to the same law. Many followers of Abraham practiced circumcision.

II. The Gospels of Jesus Christ

BIBLE: It is easier for Heaven and earth to pass away, than one part of the law to become invalid. (Luke 16:17)

CONCLUSION: Circumcision is one of the oldest Hebrew laws and was commanded by God Himself. Regardless of past Christian tradition circumcision is still the law.

III. St. Paul’s Obvious Approval

BIBLE: What value is there in circumcision? Much in every way! First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of God. (Romans 3:1-2)

CONCLUSION: Although St. Paul appears to disapprove of circumcision in some passages, this is because he was fighting against those Christians who still believed it should be required. Paul himself was circumcised.

IV. To Be Like Christ – Christian

BIBLE: When eight days had passed for the circumcising of the child, His name was called Jesus. (Luke 2:21)

CONCLUSION: Jesus Christ was circumcised on the eighth day. To be like Christ is to be circumcised. To be a Christian mother is to be like Mary’s and to circumcise their sons

V. To Be Like the Apostles

BIBLE: And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child…His mother answered…he shall be called John.- Luke 1:59-60

CONCLUSION: All of the Apostles and all the Disciples were circumcised. Jesus Christ Himself was circumcised along with His father, his brothers and all his ancestors and early followers.

VI. To Honor the Christian Martyrs

BIBLE: They put to death certain women, that had caused their children to be circumcised.- I Maccabees 1:60

CONCLUSION: St. Peter, St. Jason, St. James, St. Stephen, St. Thomas, , St. John & many other Christian Martyrs were circumcised.

VII. To Renew the Hebrew Tradition

BIBLE: Abraham took…every male among the men of Abraham’s house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin.(Genesis 17:2)

CONCLUSION: To truly become a member of the House of Abraham, to distinguish oneself from the Pagans, and in order to fulfill the laws of God as commanded by Jesus, all Christians should now circumcise all their male sons by the age of 18.

VIII. To Remove all Pagan Customs

BIBLE: They…leave their children uncircumcised, and make their souls abominable with all manner of uncleanness and profanation. (I Maccabees 1:48 )

CONCLUSION: Today, a growing number of Jewish and Christian mothers leave their sons uncircumcised. In the years to come, more and more Pagans will become hostile to Christianity and to the practice of circumcision. Oppose the Pagans.

IX. To Convert the Jews & Muslims

BIBLE: Ishmael…was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised. (Genesis 17:25) Abraham circumcised his son Isaac at eight days old, as God had commanded him. (Genesis 21:4)

CONCLUSION: Jews and Muslims would more likely convert to a Christianity that practices circumcision.

X. In Tribute to the Early Saints

BIBLE: Mattathias and his allies…forcibly circumcised any uncircumcised boys whom they found in the territory of Israel…They save the law from the hands of the Gentiles. (I Maccabees 2:45)

CONCLUSION: The first 5 Saints of Christianity, St. Judas, Jonathan, John, Simon, and Eleazar were all circumcised Jews who fought against the Greeks who butchered anyone that practiced or opposed the new law that banned circumcision.

Maccabee Christianity is fully supportive of the practice of circumcision by those of the Christian faith. Indeed, read carefully, Scriptures seem to indicate that the practice of circumcision may well be destined to become universal among all men on planet Earth. History, and the Bible, stands as a clear warning to those who would so blithely disdain male circumcision as a barbaric custom of the past. Here are just a few pertinent quotes:

In those days there appeared in Israel men who were breakers of the law, and they seduced many people…They covered over the mark of their circumcision and abandoned the holy covenant; they allied themselves with the Gentiles and sold themselves into wrongdoing.

– I Maccabees 1:11-15

Women who had their babies circumcised were put to death, in keeping with the decree, with the babies hung from their necks; their families also and those who had circumcised them were killed.

– I Maccabees 1:60-61

The King sent messengers with letter to Jerusalem and to the cities of Judah, ordering them to follow customs foreign to the land…to leave their sons uncircumcised, and to let themselves be defiled with every kind of impurity and abomination.

Today, there are a countless number of methods along with differing schools of thought when it comes to Bible Studies and Theology. At least some astute observers might say there are already far too many, with each ‘method’ or ‘school’ contradicting another so that these traditionally Christian fields of study have become nothing more than a ‘Mystery Babylon’ intellectual enterprise. Obviously, adding yet another catchy term to the list would seem to be compounding the problem, rather than providing a solution. Nevertheless, the project of Neoliteralism, a new term for a new scholarly outlook, has only one intent and that is simplification. Neoliteralism, as the word implies, presumes to take the Bible literally, but it also includes a basic understanding of what the Bible represents. This understanding is simple, not complex, and general, rather than specific. Thus, a perfect example of Neoliteralism can be seen in the following comments and remarks:

I. The Holy Bible is the most published, read, studied, documented, analyzed, interpreted and discussed book ever known in the history of the world.
II. The Holy Bible is currently available in more alphabets, languages, and versions which are spoken and written by more ethnicities and cultures than any other book on earth today.
III. The Holy Bible is the the single most influential book underlying the development of nearly all the written languages still used on earth today.
IV. The Holy Bible is the official text of Christianity, the largest religion with the most followers in the entire world.
V. The Holy Bible is the cornerstone of monotheism, represented by the three great religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
VI. The Holy Bible is the chronological story of a single family’s relationship with a specific supernatural entity that began in 3760 B.C. with Adam and ended with Joshua ben Joseph (Jesus) in 33 A.D.
VII. The Holy Bible is the most powerful piece of literature in the modern world that has inspired, motivated, and influenced more individuals to think and act in more ways than any other written document in the history of the world.

Even if the simple generalizations just mentioned may appear controversial to some readers, each one of them is not only true, but a scientific fact that cannot be denied or dis-proven. In other words, Neoliteralism is willing to make ample use of the Statistical Sciences in order to further its primary agenda, simplicity. Is simplicity an objective goal? Is simplicity biased or politically motivated? The answers to both of those questions depend on the assumptions of what simplicity will do to the fields of Theology and Religious Studies. Put bluntly, there is an infinite number of ways of interpreting Neoliteralism‘s emphasis on simplicity. The non-believer might suspect that it is simply a code word for fundamentalist Christianity intent on quashing complex, sophisticated dissent of traditional Biblical belief systems. On the other hand, the believer may mistake simplicity as either an attempt to water down or dilute Christian truth or an absurd strategy to tear down the Church which has been built upon a continuing accumulation of scholarship compiled and studied throughout the centuries.

In other words, religious scholars may well be skeptical of this new contraption, this intellectual tool known as Neoliteralism. All things considered, they have every right to be. Indeed, for most readers this is the first mention of the word Neoliteralism. This original piece of jargon could end up being nothing more than another case of self-promotion. Theologians and Religious Scholars, just like nearly everybody in today’s world, crave attention. They crave readers, listeners, endowments, large offices, and higher salaries. For some, the spread of Christian intellectual truth is also a strong underlying motivation.

With that in mind, Neoliteralism must be honest with itself and with others about what the term really means. This includes the inventor of the word and author of this essay. In other words, who is the man behind the curtain pulling the strings of Neoliteralism? Well, for starters, Neoliteralism is obviously a self-interested attempt to be different. Are not all ‘methods’ and ‘outlooks’ found in Theology the same way? Of course they are. Theologians, like all intellectuals, entered the field out of a desire to have their religious ideas read and listened to by others. Assuming the factor of self-interest remains, here are the basic, and specific, agendas underlying Neoliteralism.

I. Neoliteralism is Catholic: Catholic Christianity is emphasized because it is older and has more adherents than Protestantism. The reason is simple, St. Peter was specifically chosen to be the leader by Joshua (Jesus) (NOTE: the author of this essay is a practicing Roman/Ukrainian Catholic scholar.)II. Neoliteralism is Judaic: Athens, Greco-Roman Philosophy, and Hellenism are ignored in favor of Jerusalem, Mysticism, and Judaism. The reason is simple, Joshua (Jesus) was and is a Jew.III. Neoliteralism is Iconoclastic: Extreme anti-Christian sentiments and assumptions found in the visual arts proves their inherently Pagan and demonic tendencies. The reason is simple, God prohibited the graven image as one of the Ten CommandmentsIV. Neoliteralism is Scientific: Darwin’s Theory of Evolution is losing ground due to scientific dissent among experts. Natural law is concurrent with biological behavior of other mammalian species.V. Neoliteralism is Evangelical: The continued popularity of the Bible, of Christianity, and their combined historical influence clearly indicates supernatural forces that cannot be explained scientifically. The probability of Christianity’s success and the Bible’s best-selling status are statistically impossible. Judeo-Christian theology is a statistically significant reality.VI. Neoliteralism is Judeo-Christian: Numerous sayings and parables found in the Gospels have exact parallels in the Talmud, the Apocrypha, and in modern Orthodox Judaism.

Honesty should not condemn a new idea, theory, or paradigm. In short, these particular aspects of Neoliteralism cannot, and should not, disqualify it from being taken seriously. No type of Theology can ever be objective due to the pre-existing preferences of their creator or inventor. Most importantly, the above statements of subjectivity represent a key component in Neoliteralism. How so? By admitting the simple, unspoken truth of Theology and Biblical Studies. Rather than remain in denial, Neoliteralism simply accepts the reality of dualism embedded in the historical differences of Judeo-Christian thought.

Sometimes, like a coin with only two sides, objective study of these differences is impossible to achieve. Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, even nonbelievers and Pagan, are either Catholic or Protestant because, regardless of their personal faith, they will always prefer one over another. This understanding is also true concerning the traditional Christian stereotypes which have, at times, erupted into violent opposition. Historically speaking, the Glorious Revolution of England and the Iconoclasm Rebellion of the Byzantine Empire are perfect examples of ideas armed with swords. Everyone, including every theologian is, in the end, either a Judaizer or a Hellenizer, an Iconophil or an Iconoclast, an Artist or a Scientist, who is Private or Evangelical about being Christian or Judeo-Christian. To summarize, Neoliteralism is brutally honest about its intentions of being barbarically simple about Theology and Biblical Studies. Complexity and sophistication are both acceptable, but there must be balance instead of a one-sided journey into obscurity and obsolescence.

The Maccabee Laws

Ten Commandments
I. I am the LORD your God. You will have no other gods but Me.
II. You will not use the name of the LORD in vain.
III. You will honor the Sabbath day.
IV. You will honor your father and mother.
V. You will not kill.
VI. You will not commit adultery
VII. You will not steal.
VIII. You will not lie.
IX. You will not envy your neighbor’s wife.
X. You will not envy your neighbor’s property.